Lighting!!!!!!
I'm very excited to put on my Art Major/nerd hat and so let's be blunt and just jump into this:
The Stubblefields and the Hermans!!!!
Fill empty space and transform a venue's walls with lighting! Let's face it, color is the best way to make people FEEL differently! Ever look at a photo and think, "WOW! she looks REALLY cold!" chances are... the photo has a blue cast, hue, or tint to it- evoking the viewer to feel chilly. It's the same reason every designer on HGTV warns guests of painting a small kitchen bright red, yellow, or orange and making a heated space feel hotter. It's psychology... seeing warm colors makes people feel warmer the more intense the color. Probably no wedding designer is better known for successfully using lighting to transport people to a fantasy land for a reception than David Tutera on his WE network show,"My Fair Wedding". Tutera doesn't just think of light as "something to keep us from bumping into each other in the dark", but rather as a tool for helping people feel happy and festive or romantic with his down-right painterly use of colored lighting. See Tutera's work:
The Stubblefields transformed what is already a spectacular venue, the Auburn Cord Duesenburn Auto Museum of Auburn, Indiana and punched some pizzazz into the reception hall with purple and gold, and white lighting from multiple light sources (including the incandescents with which the hall is equipped), namely around the hall's entrance. Add those gorgeous white feathers to reflect the light (remember elementary and middle school art class? the color white reflects all light back at the eye while the color black absorbs all) and a lit dancefloor canopy and you have spectacular decor! Notice the shot from the outside of the Museum... it was a drab gray day (good luck rain! :D), but instead of shoving guests into a dreary, windowless box, this hall features a mirrored primary wall of faux windows to reflect all of the light yet again.
And THE Hermans! As an artist, it is so refreshing to work with people who "get it" and understand the technical aspects of the trade. Eric, our groom, and bride Christina met while working for the Bryan Municiple Utilities video and communications department. This dedicated groom also rigs the lighting for the Bryan theater and was able to bring some work to the party by setting up lighting that changed throughout the evening! Again, it filled space and really dressed up the Williams' County Veterans' Memorial Building at the county fairgrounds in Montpelier, Ohio. The changes in lighting just took the site to a whole new level and kept the energy going. Even with natural light filtering in through windows and a set of doors, I have never seen this hall look so festive and spectacular! And as for the technical aspect: the more light the better the photos/video. So remember kids, there are exceptions to rules, but for the most part: Don't just Dim the lights for "mood" , ADD the Right Light! Well worth it!
link for the hall:
Drayden, the bride and 
